September 4, 2015

I’ll take any excuse for a road trip, but add in live music and great restaurants, and I’d be hard-pressed to find anything that makes me happier. Earlier this month, I hit the road for a few days in Atlanta where I saw Phish for 2 nights + caught up on what some of the city’s best restaurants are putting out. I had an amazing summer tomato tart at Watershed, and most likely the BEST burger on the planet at JCT Kitchen–bacon jam, whipped blue cheese + truffle frites…good God. Hotlanta’s got it going on.

Then we headed up the road a ways to Athens, where we detoxed at The Graduate Hotel (a cute + quirky little spot that also houses The Foundry music venue, where we stood shoulder to shoulder with Michael Stipe, watching bluesman Shuggie Otis tear it up on the guitar). We hit up Hugh Acheson’s famed 5 & 10 and The National–two iconic Athens spots. I personally loved 5& 10 the best…has such a great vibe and I had a pasta with smoked fish that I will never forget.

July 23, 2015

Early this month, I made a quick trip to Bluffton, SC for a relaxing long weekend at Palmetto Bluff. If you haven’t visited the area yet, I highly recommend you start planning a roadtrip soon. It’s truly one of the most magical places I’ve ever been.

Nestled in the heart of the Lowcountry on the gorgeous May River, Palmetto Bluff feels like an oasis much farther away than just 2 hours (from Charleston, that is). My days were spent biking around the massive property, floating in the pool, and sipping on pina coladas….not an awful way to live.

Luckily, Annie and I will be returning to PB in November to eat and drink with the South’s best chefs at Music To Your Mouth, Palmetto Bluff’s annual food & wine festival. We’re already counting down the days…

March 30, 2015

Next weekend, pitmaster John Lewis will take his show on the road, giving the upstate a taste of his famous Texas barbecue at Euphoria Greenville’s ticket launch party. John will pair up with Rappahannock Oyster Co. and Firefly Vodka for the festival’s 10-year-anniversary kick-off. If you are traveling that way, tickets are still available!

November 24, 2014

There is nothing like travel to broaden your perspective, stretch your imagination and give you a sense of renewed energy. I experienced all those things and more on a recent trip to South America that I took with my husband, brother and sister in law.

It was an ambitious itinerary that had us staying in 5 different places over the course of 2 weeks. We traversed the countryside with gauchos on horseback in Argentina, got the meat sweats after too many asados, shopped til we dropped Buenos Aires, swilled wine at a family owned vineyard in Mendoza, drank Pisco Sours and ate Chilean King Crab in Santiago, and capped of off the journey with the most amazing hiking + scenery in wind-swept Patagonia.

Truly a trip for the memory books and one I will always be grateful for. Here are a few pics + shout outs to the places we stayed, which really made the whole trip even more perfect.

November 13, 2013

I was so honored to go to NYC with client Patrick Owens of Owens Dining Group (Opal + Langdon’s restaurants) for his inaugural James Beard House dinner this past weekend. There is something really incredible about the house itself, which was once the residence of culinary icon James Beard in the 1940s + 50s. Beard laid the groundwork for America’s food revolution and nurtured an entire generation of chefs, authors and foodies. He quite literally changed the way we think about food, much like his contemporary + friend, Julia Child.

It’s a real honor to cook at the Beard House, and Patrick and his team proved they had the chops to do it justice. The dinner, which was Saturday, Nov. 9, was absolutely flawless. We had a sold-out crowd of 80 people from all over the country–our table mates were from San Fran and Boston–and I heard nothing but great things about the food all night long. I am so proud of Patrick, Garrett and Jeff for pulling off such a memorable evening and felt really lucky to be a part of it.

September 5, 2013

Long time no post…summer has gotten the best of me! Although it’s business as usual, for some reason summer in Charleston always feels slow, hot and dead. I can’t complain, because it gave me and the hubs a chance to sneak away for a long overdue vacation–our first since baby Sadie was born last December.

When I get the go-ahead to start planning a trip, I spend hours + hours + hours pouring over travel mags, web sites + suggestions from friends. I am that person who reads EVERY review and looks at ALL the pictures available before making a final decision. So…after a laborious process, I finally settled on Harbour Island, a teeny tiny island in the Bahamas. I have to pat myself on the back, because it was one of the prettiest, friendliest + coolest places we have ever visited and we had an amazing trip.

Why I loved it:

Our hotel, The Dunmore, has recently been renovated and the new style is totally up my alley. Fresh, punchy colors, modern beachy decor, clean lines + comfy rooms. They make a mean Goombay Smash + treated us like we were family from the minute we walked in.

The food was awesome, which surprisingly isn’t always the case in the islands. The freshest, flakiest fish, light-as-air conch fritters, + cold beer (I realize beer doesn’t technically qualify as food, but it was a prerequisite at every meal, so just as critical as food).

Water, water everywhere. And it’s crystal clear, cool + aqua blue. We snorkeled, boated, boogie boarded, paddleboarded + just floated without a care in the world.

Golf carts are the mode of transport for everyone from the swankiest tourists to the locals working on the fishing docks. There’s something really special + unique about everyone being on the same level–literally + figuratively. In a golf cart, you are completely exposed, looking at other drivers in the eye, waving to everyone + having little distinction between a nice ride and a dinky ride. Loved that.

We’d go back in a heartbeat and maybe…if they are really good and mind their parents…we will take the kiddos next time. Maybe…

August 20, 2012

I took a trip this summer with my husband to San Francisco. We lived there for a few years after college and absolutely loved it. We had no money, dead end jobs, and a very small friend group, but it was an experience I will never forget. To be young, carefree and in one of the coolest cities in America…it doesn’t get much better.

But the real reason we went was to EAT. San Fran is hands-down my favorite place in the country to eat–there are so many interesting restaurants and so many different cultures and cuisines to explore. I actually couldn’t believe how many menus needed further explanation from a server. I thought I knew food pretty extensively, but there were full menus where I literally recognized like 3 ingredients. We had so much fun trying new things and didn’t have one bad meal.

Here are some of our favorites spots from the trip. I literally didn’t take one picture, so forgive me–it was actually really nice to just walk around, eat and have fun without worrying about documenting it all. I will savor the memories in my mind forever!

State Bird Provisions: I was so excited to see that Andrew Knowlton of Bon Appetit named it the 2012 Best Restaurant in America this month. We didn’t know what we were getting into here, and it certainly took a little getting used to, but it’s fun, creative and so delicious. Check out Andrew’s review, which can do it more justice than I can. So glad we went when we did, because I bet reservations are hard to come by right now!

Boulette’s Larder: Friend/client Mike Lata suggested we skip the Farmer’s Market on Saturday and instead hit up the Ferry Building on a weekday and go to Boulette’s Larder for breakfast. Never disregard the suggestions of a top chef. We went on a Friday, totally missed the crazy weekend crowds, and walked right in to Boulette’s with no wait. We had hot many-grain cereal, freshly baked croissants with homemade niciolatta (basically Nutella), and poached eggs with some wild African spice that was amazing. Yum.

El Farolito Taqueria: Tiny little Mexican joint in the Mission. Go for lunch and order the quesadilla suiza and agua fresca. Don’t look too closely at the floors and don’t go to the bathroom…just take it for what it is!

Bar Tartine: Good brunch spot. This was one of the menus that needed explanation, but as weird as it all sounded, it turned out to be delicious. Added bonus: fun furniture/home goods shopping on Valencia.

Bar Agricole: Cool bar. Matt partook in several of the handcrafted cocktails (damn you, pregnancy) and said they were all awesome (and potent).

Nick’s Cove: We have a tradition of driving up the coast and walking through the little seaside towns along Hwy 1–Mill Valley, Stinson Beach, Point Reyes, etc. We usually hit up this sleepy little seafood shack called Tony’s, but we branched out this time and tried Nick’s Cove. So glad we did–it’s really nicely done and has a beautiful seaside view. Fresh oysters and sweet Dungeness crab.

Flour + Water: Best pizza/fresh pasta I can remember in a long time. Be prepared for a long wait, but don’t complain. It’s worth it.

SPQR: We saved the best for last. This was my favorite dinner of the trip. My burrata app and mezzaluna pasta were to die for. I love the atmosphere too–casual but special. A place I could eat weekly, if only it were closer.